A Spoonful Of Honey
by GrellSutcliffeTheRipper
Summary: Mitsukuni Haninozuka has always been seen as a child. But even he can't help it when love comes and smacks him in the face. Unfortunately he isn't the only one who feels that way about the ellusive Haruhi Fujioka.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: There aren't enough Honey/Haruhi fanfics out there, so I'm gonna make an attempt at it. For those who read my last fanfic, I'm sorry that I haven't update in forever! I ran out of steam with it :( I might go back to it sometime. Now, enjoy!~

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"Haru-chan!" I shouted out in warning as I catapulted myself into her arms. The faint scent of strawberries that always lingered on her was mixed with the smell of fresh baking. It was intoxicating.

"Hey, Honey-sempai. Don't get too excited, the cakes will still take another half hour at least." I was expecting her to drop me back to the ground in an instant, but she didn't pull away. Instead her fingers slowly threaded through my hair in a soothing motion.

My immediate response was to nuzzle into the crook of her neck, savouring the experience before it would inevitably end. "That's okay! Haru-chan's cooking is the best. It even beats both Takashi's and my family's chefs."

"I'm sure that's an exaggeration." Her arms began to loosen around me as I made the small decent to the floor. I may have finally started a growth spurt, but I had a way to go before I was taller than even Haruhi.

My mouth opened to reply, but a blonde blur tackled into the object of my affection, spinning the cross-dresser around in a whirlwind of confused yelps and flailing limbs.

"My darling daughter. It's almost Christmas! You should see France during this festive season, it's magnificent. I'll take you one year! Daddy can have you all to himself." Tamaki's mouth was going a mile a minute. As much as I loved the younger boy, I couldn't help but envy his very obvious displays of affection that easily out-staged my own. The only thing that gave me a glimmer of hope was the hand that came clamping down on the host club king's mouth and the stony unimpressed eyes that met his.

"This is harassment, sempai. If you don't mind, I have more baking to do." And with that, the brunette left us both staring longingly as she re-entered the kitchen area.

"Oh, Honey-sempai, what is a father to do? She's so rebellious! Maybe she just doesn't love her Daddy anymore," Tamaki whimpered. His eyes sought out my own, pleading silently with me to comfort him, to tell him he was wrong. I always hid the inner-conflict with my usual loli-boy enthusiasm, but the temptation to tell him to grow up was strong. Now that I think about it, me, the man that was constantly mistaken for an elementary student, telling Tamaki to grow up would probably be the height of hypocrisy, with a hint of irony thrown in.

"Don't worry, Tama-chan, I'm sure that Haru-chan still loves you. You just gotta keep trying!" I regretted the words as soon as they escaped my lips. But it worked. Tamaki stood tall once more, grateful smile firmly in place.

"Oh yeah, Tono. I bet she loves you." Hikaru slunk over with that mischievous glint in his feline-like eyes that promised trouble.

Kaoru mirrored his twin, drifting around the other side of me and resting a hand on my shoulder. "That must be why she's spending Christmas with us this year and not you."

"We'll have her all to ourselves, since her father's going to be out of town."

"In fact he wanted us to personally look after her for three whole days."

I can't say I was overly surprised. Haruhi's father favoured the twins over Tamaki any day. I presumed that Ranka had originally asked Kyoya to take that privilege, the okama's obvious favourite, and then resorted to asking the Hitachiin's. The envy tainted my usual good mood once again, but I tried to shove it out of the way.

"What?! I can't have my daughter staying with you hooligans! You'll taint her with your perverted thoughts. Especially you, Hikaru." A hand swung forward, shaking with fury, and pointed at one of the twins.

"Wrong one, Tono." They sniggered from either side of me. I found myself laughing along with them, although with a slightly less menacing tone to it.

"Wait a second, Honey-sempai, where's Mori-sempai?" Kaoru asked me, prodding me in the side with one slender finger.

"Woah, you two can actually be separate? I thought you were a package deal," Hikaru admitted incredulously, scratching the back of his head with one hand.

"Takashi has kendo practise. He's competing in a competition soon and wanted the extra training. Kyo-chan said it was alright," my eyes darted from side to side, trying to meet both of the twin's eyes at the same time. "And we can be separate. What do you think of us? That we even share a bed?"

Hikaru looked a bit surprised at my reply, but Kaoru chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. They met eyes above my head, communicating seamlessly without the use of words, before a silent agreement could be sensed between them. With one more menacing glance in Tamaki's direction, they darted away leaving us in confused silence.

"Well, this should be interesting." I almost jumped as the Shadow King's voice rang out behind me. Tamaki quickly sobered from his depression and stared expectantly at his best friend.

"How so, Kyo-chan?" I leant my head back far enough that I was staring up into his face. His glasses slipped down his nose slightly as he tilted his face down towards me. A faint smile twitched at his lips in a knowing fashion before setting into the steely default shadow king expression.

"Call it intuition, Honey-sempai." His glasses flashed in the trademark Kyoya style as he pushed the lenses back to their usual perching spot.

"What kind of answer is that?! Out with it, Kyoya!" Tamaki was back to his usual self, flailing his arms about in exaggerated distaste.

"You need to calm down, Tamaki. The ladies will be entering soon. We wouldn't want out self-proclaimed king in a state before work even begins, now do we?" And with no further explanation, Kyoya swiftly took his leave, weaving graceful around furniture with his eyes fixed on his little black notebook.

I had a bad feeling about this. And I could tell from Tamaki's expression that his feelings mirrored my own.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: So I'm writing all in one POV this time, but I don't think I like it. If you're reviewing let me know if you think it's any good? Otherwise I might just go back to the multiple POV's that I'm used to. Once I get into the swing of writing again I might have a proper goal in mind for this story, but for now… I'm just seeing where it takes me!

Now enjoy, my sweets!~

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Christmas was just over a week away. The weekend had been uneventful; I had been avoiding any calls from the host club, their shenanigans didn't sound overly appealing. My mind was left to wander for far too long with Takashi away at his kendo competition. Reality was beginning to set in for me. I would be going to university soon. I would have to leave the host club. I wouldn't be able to eat cake to my heart's content. I wouldn't get to see all the lovely ladies anymore. And as the vast list of things I was soon set to lose ran through my mind at a vicious pace, one of them hit me harder than I thought it would. I wouldn't get to see Haruhi anywhere near as much. After that, misery seemed to cloud my senses.

Chika had followed me around, taunting me with the impression that I'd gotten another cavity. Correcting him seemed like a waste of time. The staff kept avoiding me when they would usually spoil me rotten with platters of cakes and other sugary treats; scared and concerned whispers echoing through the mansion seemed to chase me whenever I went.

So as I rode in the back of the luxurious limousine to Ouran Academy on the Monday, I finally came to a decision. Mitsukuni Haninozuka had to grow up.

Takashi was waiting for me in the courtyard. I could see the subtle twitch at his lips as his unique show of affection.

"Hey, Takashi. How did the kendo competition go? I bet you won, huh?" I stopped myself from jumping up onto his shoulders like I normally would. He instantly tensed up and furrowed his brows at me. I waited for a reply, crossing my arms loosely across my chest and raising an eyebrow.

The stare-off continued for a few seconds before Takashi let out an inaudible sigh. He didn't bother to answer any of my questions as we carried on with our routine walk to the host club before class. As usual, Kyoya was the only one to be found, taking shelter in one of the far corners.

"Good morning, Kyoya." He opened his mouth to reply then promptly shut it, raising one thin black eyebrow at us before clearing his throat.

"And good morning to you, Honey-sempai, Mori-sempai." His hands didn't leave the laptop that rested in front of him, fingers clattering away at the keys despite his eyes being fixed on us.

"Hiding from Tamaki again, huh?" I took a seat on the couch opposite him, relaxing into the plush cushions with a soft sigh. Takashi sat beside me, posture perfect, eyes focussed on me.

"Is it so obvious? He's in a particularly rambunctious mood this morning. I blame it on all of the commoner's coffee he insisted on consuming at 5am." Now that I was closer, I could see the faint dark circles under the shadow kings usually flawless skin. The only conclusion I could come to was that Tamaki managed to wake him up before 7am.

A small chuckle slipped past my lips at the image that slowly conjured up in my head. "I'll make sure to stay clear of him for a while then."

"At least you have that pleasantry. Try sitting next to him 6 hours out of the day," Kyoya spoke with dry humour, a dark aura emanating from him momentarily and his fingers thrashed at the keyboard slightly harder.

"I don't envy you in the slightest." My small hands smoothed down the fabric of my blazer.

His typing slowly came to a halt, full attention now on me. "Now, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"What are you talking about?" My feigned obliviousness was met with a knowing look and stony frown.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about, sempai."

"Mitsukuni…" Takashi's voice rumbled from beside me, concern tainting the monotone statement.

"I don't see how speaking a bit more like an adult means that there is something wrong with me. I _am _18 years old if you've forgotten. Acting like a child can get tiring." My head lolled back into the cushions as I finished speaking, mainly so I didn't have to look into Kyoya's all-seeing eyes.

"If you're sure." His fingers resumed their steady typing again, icy grey eyes scanning the screen.

I didn't bother to reply. The weight of my cousin's eyes bore down on me, searching out any speck of a lie. I couldn't break now; there could be no show of insecurity. I repeated that in my head like a mantra.

Silence reigned over us in a semi-awkward fashion until laughing and screaming erupted from outside the double doors that lead into the club room. Our quiet trio braced ourselves for the oncoming uproar that would stampede into the room in 3, 2, 1-

"Get back here you shady twins! Give me back Beary! What has he ever done to you?!" The doors burst open and two orange blurs shot through, gracefully dodging the tables and chairs that littered the rooms. The Host Club King wasn't quite as lucky, his flailing limbs tangled up in the first chair he attempted to leap over and ended up flat on his face.

The twins came to a halt close to us, taking shelter behind a couch and catching their breath as the laughter exploded from them. "Hahaha, oh boss, Beary _asked _to come play with us."

"He prefers us over you, you see." Hikaru waved the stuffed bear from side to side in a half hazard manner, amusement clear in his amber eyes.

"Liars! Give him back!" Tamaki cried from his position on the floor. He turned his puppy dog eyes toward Kyoya who was obviously fighting the urge to smirk. "Mummy, help me! The children are being unruly. Activate the Shadow King mode!"

"I think you'll find that I'm incredibly busy right now, Tamaki. Isn't it supposed to be the father's job to discipline the children?" Kyoya didn't pause his typing or even bother to look up as his best friend shuffled towards them.

"Yeah, boss. You aren't fitting the father role too well." Kaoru pouted and pulled at the teddy bear's ear.

Hikaru looked torn between playing along and full out laughter, but he attempted the mock puppy dog eyes and clutched Beary close to his chest. "We're just acting out due to all of the neglect."

"What's going on in here?" The faint mumble caught my attention and my eyes shot towards the doors. Haruhi stood there in her boy's uniform, tapping at the hard wood frame, her expression indifferent.

Before I knew it, my legs were carrying me off towards the doors, my bag in tow. A true smile lit up my face as I moved closer to her and she sent me a crooked smile back.

"Hey, Honey-sempai. What are they fighting about this time?" She didn't look overly impressed with the sight of a sobbing Tamaki on the floor again. It did start to become repetitive after seeing it at least twice a day.

"The twins stole Tamaki's bear," I said with a light laugh. Her face showed momentary confusion but didn't make a comment. "Were you coming up here to study? There isn't much time before class now, I'll walk you down."

Her smile returned and her fingers went to thread through her hair, combing through the short length as she spoke. Her other arm repositioned the heavy book bag on her shoulder as it began to slip down. "Well, yeah. I was hoping to look over some of my notes for first class, but I guess I haven't left myself enough time. Sure, that'd be nice, should we wait for Mori-sempai?"

"Nah, that's alright. I'm sure he knows where our classroom is by now." I could feel the weight of the host club's eyes burning a hole in the back of my head, but I didn't let it stop me as I linked arms with Haruhi and lead her out of the room, gently closing the door behind us.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Two chapters in one day? I must be spoiling you.

Enjoy!~

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We walked in companionable silence until the end of the corridor. There was no sign of any of the other host club members trying to follow us like I'd expected they would, so I relaxed my hold on Haruhi's arm by a fraction.

"Uh, what was all that about, Honey-sempai?" We came to a stop by one of the many huge plane glass windows that lined the wall. She let her fingers traced the window sill and turned her chocolate doe eyes to meet mine. Being the centre of her attention almost made me want to melt.

"I don't know what you mean." I unconsciously began playing with the hem of my blazer, twisting the fabric around my finger then smoothing it back out.

She didn't look convinced by my answer and her features only showed more concern. "I mean that you didn't tackle me with a hug as soon as I walked in the door. And we just left without Mori-sempai. Did you two fall out over the weekend?"

"No, Takashi was away all weekend. I spent the weekend with Chika at home," I answered with a sigh. She smiled crookedly back at me with a light giggle.

"I'm sure that would be enough to put you in a bad mood, I guess."

I squinted my eyes at her and resisted the urge not to pout. "Haruhi, I'm not in a bad mood!"

"And that's the first time you've ever called me by my proper name," she deadpanned, pointing a finger at me lazily.

I crossed my arms over my chest, careful not to look too stroppy. "So? Nobody calls me by my proper name other than Takashi."

"I thought you liked being called Honey-sempai," she muttered, looking perplexed.

Beginning to relax, I started shuffling down the corridor again towards her classroom. She was by my side within seconds, staring me down as she waited for my answer. "I did. But how can I expect to go into university and still walk about getting called Honey and be taken seriously? I might look cute but I'm still a Haninozuka underneath all of that."

Her concern melted away into a melancholy look. Our arms linked again as we wandered. "I get it. I'm gonna miss you when you leave Ouran Academy, Honey- I mean, Mitsukuni-sempai."

"I won't be that far away. I've already gotten into Ouran's university. It's only a couple of miles away from here." I didn't let surprise show on my face when she used my first name. It was tempting to tell her to drop the sempai while she was at it. We had been friends for almost a year, I'm sure we were on good enough terms to drop the honorifics by now.

"But you won't be a host any more. Doesn't that bother you? I mean, Kyoya-sempai can't be too happy about that. You and Mori-sempai bring in a decent amount of revenue for the club right?" She tapped a finger to her chin as income estimates ran through her head, a total look of concentration shining on her face.

I shrugged it off, but the thought had crossed my mind. "All of us will be leaving the host club sooner or later. I'm sure Kyoya has planned replacements for us already."

She stopped dead in her tracks, dragging me to a halt with her. "Replacements? Nobody could replace you both."

"Heh, thanks, Haruhi…" The sincerity of her words made it hard not to blush. My eyes sought out the large ornamental clock on the wall and realised the time. "We're gonna be late for class though."

"Oh man, I can't be late! There's a test this morning. C'mon Mitsukuni-sempai!" Panic took over her as she grabbed my hand in a vice like grip and took off down the corridor. It wasn't hard to keep up with her once I got my footing; she was reasonably slow in comparison to how fast I could run. We dodged any of the stray students that were still wandering the corridors and stairways. Although I almost ran straight into a first year that tried to ask us a question, I was too caught up in the feeling of Haruhi's hand linked with my own. For once I didn't mind having such small hands, because it felt like her fingers fitted between my own perfectly.

As soon as her classroom was in sight, she began to slow down. Her face was red with exertion and she tried to catch her breath. In strong contrast, the short run couldn't even be compared to a warm up for me. I gave her a few seconds before I opened the door for her, for which she gifted me with a grateful smile and a small squeeze of the hand. I hadn't even realised that I'd forgotten to let go and almost yanked my hand away out of embarrassment.

Even after she was safely inside her classroom, I was stuck staring at the door, the blush slowly fading from my blazing cheeks. It wasn't until I heard the clearing of throats behind me that I broke out of the trance like state. Four amber eyes were inspecting me questioningly, arms crossed loosely across their chests, tapping their fingers against their arms in perfect unison.

"Shouldn't you be in class by now, sempai?" Kaoru probed, raising an eyebrow.

Hikaru looked up at the clock over the door. "Yeah, the bell's gonna go any –"

The shrill ring of the bell called out through the corridors signalling the start of class. Both red heads looked like deer in the headlights and scrambled past me into the classroom. "Damn it!"

I gave the closed door one last glance before taking off towards my own class. It wasn't too far away thankfully. Sneaking into class probably wasn't an option now, but hopefully the teacher wouldn't mind too much. I creaked open the door and peered inside. No teacher. The world must be on my side today. I slipped in and quickly took my seat near the front next to Takashi. He narrowed his eyes at me in question but I just smiled in response.


End file.
